Telecommunication service providers are required to provide for emergency service calls. For instance, when a wireless caller places a 911 call, the service provider carrying or otherwise handling the call must have the capabilities to connect the caller to a public service answering point (PSAP). The PSAP selected to handle the call can then respond to the caller.
Typically, a single call processing center is assigned to a single region, such as a metropolitan region. Most regions include multiple PSAPs. A call processing center typically interfaces with the PSAPs to service emergency calls.
Occasionally, communications between a PSAP and a telecommunication carrier may be disrupted. This may be caused by a variety of reasons including equipment configuration errors, bad routing information, or malfunctioning equipment at either the PSAP or carrier. Since these service disruptions may constitute a risk to the public, and result in fines or other regulatory action against the carrier, it is important that 911 service disruptions be found and fixed in a timely manner.
Overview
Service disruptions in a 911 system are detected by receiving reports from mobile positioning centers that detail certain activities of the 911 system. These reports are compiled into a log. Parts of this log are then searched for conditions that would indicate a service disruption. For example, a certain number of errors appearing in the log in the last six hours may indicate a service disruption. If a condition that would indicate a service disruption is found, a notice is generated so that action may be taken.
A communication network that detects 911 service disruptions includes a location provisioning server that gathers reports on certain 911 service activities from mobile positioning centers. These reports are then analyzed to determine if a service disruption is occurring. For example, if the mobile positioning centers are indicating that there are an unusually large number of errors in the last hour, it may indicate a 911 service disruption.